Bale or package removing mechanism.



W. VON PHUL, A. L. BLACK & A. M. LOCKETT.

BALE 0R PACKAGE REMOVING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION man MAR. 13. 1915.

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W. VON PHUL, A. L. BL ACK & A. M. LOCKETT.

BALE 0R PACKAGE REMOVING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13. I915.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

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" Q T E S A WILLIAM WON IPHUL', ALEXANDER.L BLACK, AND] LOCKETT, OF ORLEANS, LOUISIANA,",ASSIGMGRS T0 FORD, BLALGOLY & DAVIS, .OFLNEW.YORK,

masses.

Specification of, Letters Patent.

BALE 0R ZPAQKAGE REMOVING MECHANISM.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

Application "filed March 13, 1915. Serial No. 143,187.

we do hereby declare .the following to boa 7 full, clear, andeXact descriptionof the in vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertain-s to make and use the same. v

The invention relates to mechanism rfor extracting, withdrawing or removing individual elements, such as bales, packages, or I other containers of goods in bulk, or sepa rate articles, which it is customary to assemble and store in rows and t1ers,;a-nd has for its object to provide simple and eliicient means for relieving the particular package,

which is to be removed, from so :much of the weight of the superposed elements or packages as will admit-of the desired'article or package being removed by the proper application of force applied thereto, associated with means for applying'the force in a direction to'etiect fSllCh removal.

In the storingio-f'largepackages, such as bales, barrels, casks, boxes and-the like, as-

well as large individual elements not in package f0r1n, 1t is quite usual tostack the same i-ntiers or rows of considerable length and height to economizethe storage .space as far as possible. :In sucha storage system, 1t frequently becomes necessary and ClBSll'itble to withdraw or remove certain of the individual'elements of a stack or pile, and

to efl'ectthis, it has been the custom heretofore to bodily-remove the super-posed elements and' those immediately adjacent the one desiredso that thelattercould be lifted out, atter'which it-was necessary to restore the stack or *pile by reptacing a1 1 =of tl1e' other elements, except the one desired,-in proper order.. Such an operation is not only wasteful of time and energy, but not infrequently results in damage to -the elements of the-stack or pile due to frequent removal and replacement.

The present invention is designed toprovide means for quicklyand efliciently eX-- tracting any desired element from a stack or pile without danger of disturbing the re-' pile of the same.

lation of the other elements of the stack or pileor of damaging any ot the elements, ineluding-the one removed.

the accompanying' drawings, Figure 1 v is .a side-elevation of a simple form of apparatus 'involving the invention as employed in removing bales Oif cotton from a stacked Fig; 2 is a front elevation otthe same; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation partially in section cat a torm of grapple, or hook employed in connection with the machine. I

Although the invention has been illustrated asadevice particularly adapted for removingindividual bales from a pile of the same, it will be understood that it is not limited to such use,- as it may be applied with equal efiicacy to eltect the removal of other articles :or packages which are arranged or stored substantially regular rows and tiers horizontally and vertically.

It is also to i be understood that the particu lar storm of the apparatus illustrated as merely exemplary and that the invention is not limited 1-11 any sense tosuc'h particular form, but,asexpressed in the claims appended hereto, as tobe regarded as covering any :other'form of apparatus itor effecting the same sequential operations to produce the same desired result.

Reterring to the drawings, 1 indicates a portable framework constructed of commercial shapes of iron'ior steel and adapted to be'transported from place to place either by hand' or. by means of a traveling crane from which it is designed to be normally operated. :Said trame 1 comprises converging'fhorizontal members *2 connected at their divergent ends a cross piece 3. ands-at their intermediate portions by a cross brace 9 5 2 and nilgid l y connectedltoxthe membersr2 is an inverted U-shaped element 4, which like the -mem be1s2 and 3 is pretera'bly formed of'channel iron, and connected to the pendent arms of the member t are two rear wardly projecting horizontally disposed lifting arms 5, which may also be formed of channeliron and have their outer ends chamtered or beveled to :admit of said ends being, readily passed between adjacent 'ele ments of a stack-or pile of such elements. Secured to the rearward end of the mem bore 42 isen angle bar-"6 which constitutes a face. plate or" abutment to afford a firm, broad bearing for the frame against the 1 face of the stack-or pile to beoperated' upon.

In order'to hold the arms5 rigidly to the framework, there are: provided two U-bolts V 7, the upper portions of which pass through the flanges of the members-3' and-6,- and the lower loop portions of which engage and braces 2' and '8 are two angle plates 8,-the vertical webs of which constitute ournal.

rope clamp 17 having an operating handle pass around the intermediate portions of the arms 5,as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. v

' Connected between the cross members'or bearings for the'sheave or pulley 9. ,The forward ends of themembers 2 are] bent into parallelism and-secured together by 7 means of a yoke-like member 12' whlch is 18, said clamp comprising two jaws lying on opposite sides of the cables 16 and adapted to securely clamp and lock the same to the frame 1 under certain conditions of optraveling crane or the like and a connect-.

eration of the apparatus.

The forward end of the frame 1 is supported by .a suitable block and tackle system consisting of .arlower. block 13, an upper block 15, adapted to be suspended from a ing cable or tackle 1 1, the lower block being connected by a suitable hook to the eye 12 of the yoke 12 secured to the forward ends of the members 2 of the frame. 7

- The cable 16 is connected at its upper end 7 to a hoistingdrum or winch carried by a traveling crane .or similar apparatus, not

shown, which hoisting drumor winch is adapted to apply the necessary forcefirst to lift-thebale or other element of the pile to be removed, sec 0nd to withdraw the desired baleor other element, and third, in conjunction with the block and tackle mechanism'to support andtransport the mechanism from place to place. The outer end'of the cable 16 is connected to the intermediate portion of a yoke consisting oftwo spaced angle bars 20, by means of a suitable bolt passing through, the horizontal flanges, of the yoke members and aneye 21 attached to the end of the cable. i

i To the outer ends of the yoke 20 are 'secured two hooks 22, each of which is provided at its forward end'with. an eye 23. by means of which it is fastened to the yoke between the two angle bars 20 thereof. The forward end of each hook is provided with a pivoted tine 25, journaled on a pin 26, se-

" cured to two sideflanges 24 of the body or the hook, as illustrated in Fig. 4- The tine 25 is held normally in projecting relation by means of a spring 27, but is adapted to be folded backinto the positionillustrated 1n dotted l nes in'Fi'gft when lateral pres- I sure is brought to bearupon the tine,as for example, when the hookis shoved in between the bales or elementsv of a stack or pile. As soon asthe lateral pressure is relieved, the spring forces the tine outwardly into its normal position, until: the heel of the tine restsupon the bottom of the rearward portion of the hook body, in which po-" sition the true is adapted to be engaged, with the rearportion of the bale or element 7 to be removed when a longitudinal pulling strain is exerted on the hook,

In applying the apparatus to the intended use, thejframel is supportedfrom an overhead traveling crane or the like by means of the cable16, which is locked to the frame bymeans of, the clamp 17,, and the block and tackle mechanism connected to the forward end of the frame, the cable being so adjusted as to provide suiiicientjslack; for the operations described below. .The crane is then moved to a position in; front of the. stackor pile of bales or other "elements from which it is desired to move aparticular bale,

The frame is then moved toward the stack or pile until the horizontal arms5 are forced 2 in between or under the bales immediately above the one to be removed. The cable 16 is then drawn out and the two hooks 22 are shoved through the pile on both sides of the'bale to be removed, until the rear ends a of the hooks project beyond the other side of the pile and the tines 25] of the hooks-- and the frame 1 loweredv toa position just 7 I A above the particular bale toi be removed.

spring outwardly 1 into normal position.

Preferably, the hooks are then turned, so

as to cantthe tines at the rearendsthereof" to engage the rear lower corners. of the bale, as illustrated in Fig.1. The block and tackle is then adjusted so as tomaintainf the frame in an approximately horizontal position and the {cablelG isloosened by means of the clamp, 17, after which the. hoisting winch or drum which controls the cable is operated-to exert a lifting strain on the cable which has the effect'of lifting the frame l to a sufficient extent to cause the arms 5 of the frame tolift the weight of the bales superposed on thebale to be removed and thereby relieve the vertical I pressure on the latter to admit of the same being withdrawn. The pull on the cable also forces the frame firmly against the pile or stack of bales, the continued'pull resulting in the bodily movement of the cable causes the yokeQO to move the hooks 22- outwardly from the pileandthereby extractor withdraw the particular bale to which the hooks are attached. After the bale has been removed, the tension on the cable 16 is relieved and the apparatus permitted to swing free of the pile of bales, so that it may be moved to any position for extracting another bale. Inasmuch as it is customary to stack the bales or other elements of a pile in staggered or bonded relation, the removal of the apparatus will permit the bales to settle down into their normal posi tion, without disturbing the relation of the individual bales of the pile or stack, as will be apparent.

W hat we claim is 1. Mechanism for removing bales and packages from piles of the same, comprising means for relieving the bale desired of the pressure of superposed bales, and cooperating means for forcing said bale out of the pile.

2. Mechanism for removing bales and packages from piles of the same, comprising means for exercising a lifting force on the superposed bales to relieve the desired bale of'the weight thereof, and cooperating means for directing a force longitudinally of the bale sufficient to remove said bale.

3. Mechanism for removing bales and packages from piles of the same, comprising means for engaging the bale or bales immediately above that to be removed, means for engaging the bale to be removed, and means for simultaneously applying a lifting force to the first named means and a pulling force to the second named means.

l. Mechanism for removing bales and packages from piles of the same, comprising a frame having arms adapted to engage the superposed bales, hooks adapted to be passed between the piled bales to engage the rear of the desired bale and a cable so connected to the frame and hooks as to .im pose a lifting force on the frame and a pulling force onthe hooks and bale.

5. Mechanism for removing bales and packages from piles of the same, comprising a frame having a rear portion adapted to abut the front of superposed bales and rearwardly projecting arms to pass under said superposed bales, hooks adapted to be passed between the piled bales to engage the rear of the desired bale, cable guides at the front and rear of said frame, and a cable engaging said guides and connected to said hooks, whereby a hauling strain on the cable will lift the frame and superposed bales and withdraw the bale and attached hooks.

6. Mechanism for removing bales and packages from piles of the same, comprising a frame adapted to abut the pile and having rearwardly projecting arms to pass under the superposed bales, means adapted to be passed between the piled bales and to engage the bale to be removed, cable guides at the front and rear of said frame, and a cable engaging said guides and connected to at the front and rear of said frame, a cable 7 engaging said guides and connected to said bale engaging means whereby a hauling strain on the cable will lift the frame and superposed bales and withdraw the bale and attached hooks, and a clamp carried by said frame to lock the cable thereto when necessary.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures, in presence of two witnesses.

JVILLIAM VON PHUL, ALEXANDER L. BLACK. ANDREA/V M. LOCKETT.

l/Vitnesses A. Freeman, C. T. SHEL'roN.

7 Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. n 

